Ramblings of a Climate Pilgrim... In October 2018 I embarked on a 1,000km walking pilgrimage to COP24, the UN Climate Summit. Here are some thoughts before, during and after.
While on an epic 1,000km journey from Italy to Poland as part of The Climate Pilgrimage 2018, I was privilaged to meet so many inspiring climate activists from different parts of the world. In these posts I share about them and our journey in the hope that they inspire you as much as they inspired me to do more to avert the biggest catastrophy of our time.
Joanna Sustento getting ready for the COP24 Climate Protest, Katowich
Joanna Sustento is from the Philippines and is a survivor of Super Typhoon Haiyan, the strongest storm ever to make landfall which destroyed Tacloban city in November 2013. Joanna lost many of her loved ones in that storm including her parents, her brother, her sister-in-law and three year old nephew. Joanna is an amazing young woman who has dedicated her life to climate action. She describes herself as a climate activist and story-teller, sharing with others the events of the night Haiyan struck Tacloban city, how she managed to survive and the devastating loss of her family. It was such a privilage to walk with Joanna and get to know her. Joanna believes in the power of story and as I've mentioned before I always felt that we were carrying a very sacred narrative with us on this pilgrimage in bringing these climate stories into the homes, parishes and schools wherever we landed on this walk.
People often feel overwhelmed with the statistics and scientific reports on climate change. Ultimately it is the human stories which will bring about a conversion of heart. Joanna often shared with us and those she met that, "You don't have to have a powerful position to have a voice...because of my story and the story of our community I will be able to contribute to something global. I will be able to put a human face on an abstract concept that is climate change... I found power in that." Joanna speaks to ordinary people encouraging them to do whatever they can: "Everyone of us, we all have our own story, we all have the potential to contribute to the change we want to see."
While on our little walk across Europe in the middle of winter, we crossed through an area of Poland called Silesia. It is a famous region known for its coal mining towns. 80% of Poland's energy is fuelled by coal at present. I have experienced smog in cities in India when I lived there, but there was no comparison to the disgusting air quality we experienced during those days in Silesia. With the extremely cold weather, the air was thick with smog. The climate pilgrims wore vests which read: "No future in coal" and we were advised on the history of the region, what to expect, how to approach the coal issue and so on. To our pleasant surprise we received a very warm welcome in those towns. In Rybnik we were greeted by the Mayor who presented us with gifts and we shared a beautiful meal together. Later that same day at a Mass in the local church, the priest's homily covered the enormity of the crisis the world now faces and he noted how it was ironic that we should arrive in his parish on the feast of St. Barbara, the patron saint of coal miners. While sitting in a cafe the following day I was shocked when smog was entering inside the cafe, making it really uncomfortable to breath. This stuff was everywhere. The thick smoke billowed out of the houses everywhere we walked. It was choking. Statistically breathing the air in these towns is the equivalent of smoking 7 cigarettes per day. I wondered how on earth people could raise families there knowing that figure. Yet, we had to remember that this was their livelihoods. Families in Rybnik and Imelin and many other coal mining towns have been mining for generations. I wondered how Joanna felt in those towns, knowing what the fossil fuel industry had cost her. When we visited schools there, I wondered if young people were aware of how dangerous their air was.
Poster from school children in Imelin, Silesia "Clean air"
In Rybnik we were hosted by parishioners and my host had been a coal miner for 28 years. I could not even imagine what it would be like to work underground for that length of time. He was now retired, working in his local parish, and genuinely interested in our journey and our purpose. In Rybnik we also met students who were studying renewable energy. Some remarked to us that they know money will be in renewables in the future; whatever their motivation it was heartening to see the shift of focus away from coal. The town of Imelin, one day out from Katowich, is a coal mining community which is now campaigning against the industry. The people were assured that the mine would not be expanded, however that is changing and the proposed plans for this particular mine involve drilling underneath the houses in the town. The houses are neither built for such a project nor are the people willing to allow this to happen. So for them, they are campaigning against an industry that has sustained generations of their family members' livelihoods.
Just transition is a key word in the climate debate. It simply means that those who are dependant on the fossil fuel industry for their livelihood should also be treated justly and fairly. They too, in many ways, are victims of this crisis. A just transition would mean for Polish miners to be retrained and employed in the renewable sector. Communities like these should not suffer. I tie this in with Joanna's story because as we were walking through these towns and villages I wondered what it felt like to see the amount of pollution being fired into the atmosphere, knowing what it cost some of our pilgrim family.
Coal disaplyed in the floor at UN Climate Conference, COP24
Once we arrived at the COP in Katowich, it was no different there. The air quality was just as bad and many told us that nearby coal mines had been switched off 'for maintenance' during the COP. Convenient. Walking through the COP24 building utterly disappointed me. This COP was hijacked by the coal industry. Six coal companies were the main sponsors of the COP. Inside the building there was coal on display in the floors covered by glass and for sale as jewellery, 'a souvenir from Silesia'. For Joanna, this was a slap in the face. I was so upset for her as walked around that building, surrounded by politicians who didn't care and fossil fuel companies who were basically rubbing her nose in it.
Coal jewellary at COP24
Joanna was interviewed by Democracy Now during COP24. Here interview is below. I invite you to take time to listen to her story and share it with whomever you can.
On our final day of walking it was a 20km hike into Katowich from Imelin. My left foot, swollen and aching, suggested I should rest and call it a day. But there was no way I was missing our final day of walking on this pilgrimage. I strapped it up, got two walking poles and pushed on through the day. In moments when I thought I might not make it, Joanna's story kept me going and Joanna's story will keep me on this climate activist road for some time. That is the power of story.
Finally, my favourite Joanna memory from the pilgrimage will always be the day we built a snowman in Katowich. This was Joanna's first snowman attempt; an Irish-Filippina collaborative climate action project. The first of many, I hope. You are an amazing person Joanna and I was so very lucky to meet you and share this journey with you! "From the biggest of tragedies, hope can be found" - Joanna Sustento "Some forms of pollution are part of people’s daily experience. Exposure
to atmospheric pollutants produces a broad spectrum of health hazards,
especially for the poor, and causes millions of premature deaths.
[…] Technology, which, linked to business interests, is presented as the
only way of solving these problems, in fact proves incapable of seeing
the mysterious network of relations between things and so sometimes
solves one problem only to create others." (Pope Francis, Laudato Si, 20)
In Rybnik, Silesia, the Climate Pilgrims meet students studying renewable energy
The Pilgrim Sandwich - with Joanna at its centre
Joanna presenting the pilgrim prayer ribbons and her story to Patricia Espinosa (UNFCC Executive Secretary) at COP24. Beside her are Yeb Sano (Greenpeace SE Asia); Tomas Insua (Global Catholic Climate Movement) & Mons Duffe (head of Vatican Delegation to COP24)
While the climate pilgrimage is over, in many ways it is only beginning. There were so many things I wanted to write about on the road, but there was little time. Now, I've loads of time! So here are a few more reflections in the hope that my ramblings might offer some inspiration to others and help us all to continue to stay in the climate 'hope space'. On the climate pilgrimage I was blessed to meet such inspiring people from all parts of the world. I have learned so much from them and I know that they will all continue to inspire me many years from now. So here, in no particular order, I will share a little of their powerful stories.
AG Saño is from the Philippines. He is a marine conservationist, photographer, street artist, climate activist and from what I can gather has many different roles and projects up his sleeve. Together with his brother Yeb Saño, they started the Climate Pilgrimage in the Philippines in 2014, walking from Manilla to Tacloban city (1,000km) to commemorate the first anniversary of Super Typhoon Haiyan. They also walked from Rome to Paris (1,500km) in 2015 for the UN Climate Summit, COP21. AG is a survivor of Super Typhoon Haiyan, the strongest storm to ever make landfall in recorded human
AG painting a mural at our host parish in Trieste, Italy
history. Haiyan slammed into the Philippines in November 2013 killing 15,000 people in the space of two hours. Haiyan was so strong because it had travelled over waters in the Pacific Ocean which were 0.8 degrees warmer than usual. AG lost his best friend Agit in the storm. Agit's wife and 3 year old son also died. In the days following Haiyan, AG helped to collect the dead bodies from the streets of the devastated city of Tacloban. He went days without food. AG walked the climate pilgrimage in the hope that the world would listen to the struggles that the Philippines, and millions of people worldwide, face as a result of Climate Change; these stories need to be heard. In every school, parish, community, town and city that we stopped in on this pilgrimage, AG shared his story. He is an extremely talented street artist and painted powerful murals en route. The rest of us would help with the colouring in, leaving our climate justice footprint behind as the pilgrimage moved on.
AG's mural in our host parish, Trieste, Italy
Yeb Saño is the founder of The Climate Pilgrimage. Yeb worked for many years as the Filipino Climate Negotiator to the UN. He has attend many COPs (UN Climate Conferences) and probably his most famous moment was in Warsaw in 2013. As Typhoon Haiyan devastated Tacloban city, Yeb made an emotional speech at COP19 for all those whose voices could no longer be heard. I encourage you to take four minutes to watch this powerful speech:
On the pilgrimage, Yeb always reminded us that "our physical destination is
Katowich and COP24, however our real destination is the minds and hearts
of all those we meet on this road." Yeb is now the Executive Director of Greenpeace South East Asia, our pilgrimage DJ and Guru on the road.
Yeb Saño at the Climate Protest at COP24, Katowich, Poland, December 2018
Climate Litigation: Yeb & AG, together with other Haiyan survivors, are part of a group who are taking 47 companies, the Big Polluters, to the human rights courts to investigate their contribution to the climate crisis. You can read more about their case here: "Communities seeking climate justice through the power of law".
A big learning for me on this pilgrimage was that 90 fossil fuel companies in the world are responsible for 70% of the carbon emissions which fuel the climate crisis. Yes, you read that correctly! 90 companies! So while your government is quite happy for you to sit at home and feel guilty about your contribution to the climate crisis, they are continuting to prop up the fossil fuel industry with huge subsidies and continue exploration for fossil fuels. While one would think there is nothing we can do about this, AG and Yeb are part of a movement which aims to hold these fossil fuel companies accountable for their actions. And they are not the only ones. Many similar cases are taking place worldwide. In the United States a group of young people are taking the Trump Administration to court for backing out of the Paris Climate Agreement. They argue that the US government are in violation of protecting children's rights to a secure future. It is an amazing story which you can follow and engage with here: Our Children's Trust. In the Netherlands recently another successful climate litigation story emerged and you can read about it here: "Netherlands ordered to increase emissions cuts in historic ruling that puts ‘all world governments on notice".
Climate Case Ireland, led by Friends of the Irish Environment, were recently in court taking the Irish Government to task on its climate inaction. Over four days in the High Courts a litany of inaction on the part of our government was heard by the hundreds of people who crammed into Court 29 in support of the case. Ireland's climate policy is weak and we are per capita one of the biggest polluters in Europe. Our emissions are set to increase in coming years not decrease despite the Divestment Bill being passed in 2018. It was a proud moment to be present in Court 29 during these proceedings in January 2019. People of all ages attended, from toddlers to teenagers, university students to the older and wiser members of the public. You can read about the Irish Case at Climate Case Ireland and give your support to this historical legal action. The verdict is pending in the coming weeks.
Climate Case Ireland supporters outside the Fourt Courts January 2019
Supporting such cases with our signatures or our presence are all ways we can be in solidarity with people in countries like the Philippines and the generations to come who will feel the full affects of this crisis. It is inspiring to see what small groups of people are doing even when world leaders are failing them. When one thinks about the climate crisis it seems too huge and overwhelming for
one person to affect change. Yet it is possible. AG and Yeb Saño and all
those involved in such campaigns show me that another world is possible
despite the odds. They have certainly transformed my views on climate and have helped me to SEE more clearly the faces of those that are right now directly affected. The climate pilgrimage continues to encourage me to do whatever you can, where you are.
"There is a problem in the atmosphere, but the deeper problem lies in our own hearts"
Yeb Saño.
"We know that technology based on the use of highly polluting fossil fuels - especially coal, but also oil and , to a lesser degree, gas - needs to be progressively replaced without delay."
(Pope Francis, Laudato Si, 165)
A mural painted by AG in a primary school in Imelin, Poland, in the heart of the coal mining region of Silesia during The Climate Pilgrimage 2018.
While on our little walk across Europe in the middle of winter, we crossed through an area of Poland called Silesia. It is a famous region known for its coal mining towns. 80% of Poland's energy is fuelled by coal at present. I have experienced smog in cities in India when I lived there, but there was no comparison to the disgusting air quality we experienced during those days in Silesia. With the extremely cold weather, the air was thick with smog. The climate pilgrims wore vests which read: "No future in coal" and we were advised on the history of the region, what to expect, how to approach the coal issue and so on. To our pleasant surprise we received a very warm welcome in those towns. In Rybnik we were greeted by the Mayor who presented us with gifts and we shared a beautiful meal together. Later that same day at a Mass in the local church, the priest's homily covered the enormity of the crisis the world now faces and he noted how it was ironic that we should arrive in his parish on the feast of St. Barbara, the patron saint of coal miners. While sitting in a cafe the following day I was shocked when smog was entering inside the cafe, making it really uncomfortable to breath. This stuff was everywhere. The thick smoke billowed out of the houses everywhere we walked. It was choking. Statistically breathing the air in these towns is the equivalent of smoking 7 cigarettes per day. I wondered how on earth people could raise families there knowing that figure. Yet, we had to remember that this was their livelihoods. Families in Rybnik and Imelin and many other coal mining towns have been mining for generations. I wondered how Joanna felt in those towns, knowing what the fossil fuel industry had cost her. When we visited schools there, I wondered if young people were aware of how dangerous their air was. 
Just transition is a key word in the climate debate. It simply means that those who are dependant on the fossil fuel industry for their livelihood should also be treated justly and fairly. They too, in many ways, are victims of this crisis. A just transition would mean for Polish miners to be retrained and employed in the renewable sector. Communities like these should not suffer. I tie this in with Joanna's story because as we were walking through these towns and villages I wondered what it felt like to see the amount of pollution being fired into the atmosphere, knowing what it cost some of our pilgrim family. 
While on our little walk across Europe in the middle of winter, we crossed through an area of Poland called Silesia. It is a famous region known for its coal mining towns. 80% of Poland's energy is fuelled by coal at present. I have experienced smog in cities in India when I lived there, but there was no comparison to the disgusting air quality we experienced during those days in Silesia. With the extremely cold weather, the air was thick with smog. The climate pilgrims wore vests which read: "No future in coal" and we were advised on the history of the region, what to expect, how to approach the coal issue and so on. To our pleasant surprise we received a very warm welcome in those towns. In Rybnik we were greeted by the Mayor who presented us with gifts and we shared a beautiful meal together. Later that same day at a Mass in the local church, the priest's homily covered the enormity of the crisis the world now faces and he noted how it was ironic that we should arrive in his parish on the feast of St. Barbara, the patron saint of coal miners. While sitting in a cafe the following day I was shocked when smog was entering inside the cafe, making it really uncomfortable to breath. This stuff was everywhere. The thick smoke billowed out of the houses everywhere we walked. It was choking. Statistically breathing the air in these towns is the equivalent of smoking 7 cigarettes per day. I wondered how on earth people could raise families there knowing that figure. Yet, we had to remember that this was their livelihoods. Families in Rybnik and Imelin and many other coal mining towns have been mining for generations. I wondered how Joanna felt in those towns, knowing what the fossil fuel industry had cost her. When we visited schools there, I wondered if young people were aware of how dangerous their air was. 
Just transition is a key word in the climate debate. It simply means that those who are dependant on the fossil fuel industry for their livelihood should also be treated justly and fairly. They too, in many ways, are victims of this crisis. A just transition would mean for Polish miners to be retrained and employed in the renewable sector. Communities like these should not suffer. I tie this in with Joanna's story because as we were walking through these towns and villages I wondered what it felt like to see the amount of pollution being fired into the atmosphere, knowing what it cost some of our pilgrim family. 
